Grabs (skateboarding)

Grabs in skateboarding are different ways to hold the skateboard during an aerial usually combine aerials with rotation as the skateboarder grabs and holds the board.

Grab tricks

This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

Airwalk grab	The skateboarder grabs the nose of the skateboard when in the air and kicks the front foot off the board to one side, slides the back foot to the back of the board and then off to the opposite side of the board as the front foot resulting in a split kick while holding the nose. While this is the basic concept of a standard Airwalk, more advanced skateboarders can kick their legs back and forth across the front of the board while in the same aerial and make a walking motion. This trick was invented and named in 1983 by Tony Hawk, who performed it on ramps and half-pipes. In 1986, Rodney Mullen invented the Ollie Airwalk, a flatground version of the Airwalk. The name Ollie Airwalk is often mistaken by the Ollie Airwalk trick in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games series. In the version in the game, the skateboarder only kicks his/her legs off the board and doesn't grab the nose. This is not considered a "real" airwalk.
Backside grab	A grab where the leading hand grabs the heelside rail. can be done going straight or with a backside rotation. Variations include: Melon, Method, Crossbone, Mosquito.
Bacon grab	backside air with leading hand reaches between the legs and grabs middle of board
Benihana grab	A grab where the rear foot is taken off the board. the rear leg is then straightened while the rear hand grabs the tail of the skateboard.
Cannonball grab	The skateboarder ollies, then grabs both ends of the board (nose and tail) and holds them. This makes the skater crouch and appear small and round in shape, like a cannonball, hence the name. This trick can also be done as an early grab, in which case it is commonly called a smallie, a smurf, or a bunnyhop.
Christ Air	An air trick made popular by Christian Hosoi where the skater grabs the board out from under their feet and forms a "T" shape with their body as if on a cross with the board outstretched in either hand.
Crail Grab	For a Crail Grab, the skater grabs the nose with the back hand brought in front of the body.
DelMar Indy	Created in the city of Del-Mar, CA, it's essentially an indy but you tweak your body to the side (either) and you end up with your legs behind you most of the time.
Double Grab	The board is grabbed with one hand on the frontside of the board and the other hand on the backside of the board.
Early grab	Any trick where the rider grabs before the coping or lip. Tricks such as indies and bonelesses, etc... are common early grabs. Early grabs waste a lot of speed and inertia because of compression and squatting down prematurely, as opposed to "spracking" an ollie or "Bonking" off the coping. A later grab generally has more height and is more extended, therefore early grabs are considered to be obsolete, with a few notable exceptions.Darell Stanton is known for doing these down stairs.
Frigid Air	Similar to a Judo, though the front foot is kicked out on the heel side, rather than the toe side, rail. Though the trick has been done on vert, it was most common during the mid '80s jump ramp craze.
Frontside grab	Any air where the board is grabbed with the rear hand on the toeside rail of the board while rotating in a frontside direction- hence "front". Style dictates that the inside of the elbow of the back arm must be wrapped around the knee of the back leg for a "tuck-knee" frontside. The other variation being where the arm is not around the back knee, but rather straight between the legs. This is known as a Stinkbug air or Bob air (supposedly named after Bob Schmeltzer of Back to the Future fame). The frontside air was the first air performed on vert. Although contested as to who did the first frontside air, credit is generally given to Tony Alva.
Indy grab	An Indy grab is a the same as a frontside grab except that the rotation is backside it is often used when there is no rotation as well.
Japan grab	A mute air where the legs are then bent and folded to the back of the board. Named after the Tony Hawk penned Transworld Skateboarding Magazine article in which it first appeared.
Jitsu grab	A Jitsu grab is a variation of a Judo grab where the back foot is on the board and the front foot kicked directly out in front of the board while the back hand holds the toeside of the board.
Lien Air	Lien air is the same as a backside grab except the rotation is frontside. It was named after the inventor Neil Blender (Lien is Neil spelled backwards). Variations: Lien-to-tail, Finger Flip Lien-to-tail, Crossbone (Chris Miller), Method Lien.
Madonna grab	Originally known as the Madonna Lien to Tail, it originated as a Lien to Tail where the front foot is kicked out behind the skater. Invented by Jesse "the Mess" Martinez" at Hosoi's ramp, It may have been simultaneously invented by Tony Hawk who got the credit for it because he was more famous at the time.
Melon Grab	A backside or lien grab with the front leg straightened (boned)
Method-air	Contrary to popular belief, this grab did not originate from snowboarding, but was invented by Neil Blender as a "method" to get higher on a backside air. When the board is grabbed the knees are bent so the board is raised backwards and the skater appears to be kneeling in mid-air.
Mute Air	A grab where the lead hand grabs the toeside rail, while rotating backside or going straight.
No foot-air	Grab your board and virtually do a one-handed Superman pose, similar to a trailing haded Christ air, without the rigid body positioning.
Nosebone	normally performed with an indy and frontside grabs where the front leg is straightened but can be applied to tail grabs as well. Any grab where a leg is straightened can be said to be "boned".
Nose grab	For a nose grab one grabs hold of the board with the front hand. This is one of the easiest grabs to perform.
Nuclear	Similar to a Crail grab, where you grab the heelside of the nose with the trailing hand.
Roast Beef	A frontside air where the trailing hand reaches between the legs to grab the heel edge of the board. Invented by Jeff Grosso.
Rocket Air	Similar to a nose grab, except both hands grab the nose, and both feet move to the tail.
Sean Penn	A backside Madonna, or a frigid air to tail. Possibly invented by Mark "Gator" Rogowski.
Seatbelt grab	In this grab the front hand is brought across the front of the body to grab the toeside tail of the board. Invented by Remy Stratton.
Slob Air	The same as a mute grab except rotation is frontside.
Stalefish grab	Named by Tony Hawk, in honour of the quality of food at the Swedish Skate Camp where it was invented (although this is disputed, as many credit Mark Gonzales with inventing the grab). The back hand grabs the heel side of the board.
Stiffy	A stiffy is a variation of an indy, frontside, mute and slob grab where both legs are straightened. This trick has been said to have been invented by Jordan Mole but its origins are questionable.
Superman grab	The board is grabbed on both sides (one hand each) and is brought in front or above the skater's body. Named after the pose that Superman does when flying.
Tai-pan grab	A tai-pan grab is where the skateboarder takes his/her front hand and wraps it around their leg from behind so they grab the toe side of the board.
Tailbone	A tailbone is performed by executing a nose grab and directing the tail of the board downwards at an approximate angle of 45 degrees.
Tail grab	A tail grab is where the back hand grabs the tail of the board. This is a deceptively difficult grab to learn.
Tuck Knee	A tuck knee is performed with frontside, indy, mute and slob grabs, where the grabbing arm wraps around the leg grabbing the board between the toes.